‘I want to pick new signings’ says Manchester City manager: Will new owners respect this?
by stresster on September 5th, 2008
| 322 words |
Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan have both resigned from their respective clubs this week, citing similar reasons behind their decision to step down. Quite simply, more and more Premier League clubs have owners, technical directors and advisers who are primarily responsible for which players are bought and sold, rather than the manager. Will the same happen at Manchester City after ADUG took over a few days ago?
Mark Hughes would like to think not, according to The Guardian, with the Welshman stating that he really needs to be the one advising the club’s owners on the players he needs. However, the spokesperson for the group, Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, has already been blabbing about signing Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo for City. Will he really cool his jets and leave the decision-making to Sparky?
“My understanding - and I think this has to be the case - is that I will recommend the players and they [Adug] will see if they can get them,” he said.
Alan Curbishley quit as West Ham manager this week after complaining that decisions were taken above his head, while Kevin Keegan has left Newcastle United for similar reasons. Hughes, however, described himself as “absolutely delighted” with City’s takeover and is confident he can forge a strong working relationship with the new owners.
“In days gone by managers worked in a different way to the way it is now,” he said. “If you understand where the business side overlaps with the football side there should be no problem. I have to understand the owners’ point of view and, equally, they have to understand where I’m coming from and respect me.”
Indeed, Hughes is a strong-minded individual who may not appreciate too much board interference when it comes to transfer dealings. But is this unavoidable, especially with Al Fahim so seemingly intent on bringing in more box-office signings and forging City into a Champions League team? Is this a collision course waiting to happen?
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Tagged Under: Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, Manchester City FC, mark hughes
hey - September 5th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Football has certainly changed an awful lot from the game I watched as a kid, and not for the better as far as fans are concerned. The game seems to have lost its soul and things such as honour, loyalty and common decency have become meaningless words from a bygone era. The majority of players, managers, chairmen and governing bodies at the top level in the modern game are nothing but a bunch of greedy, lying, cheats.
The despicable conduct of Ronaldo over the summer and the disgraceful actions of Ferguson and Berbatov on Monday are prime examples. The sport and the media should properly vilify them for their behaviour but instead of this they are held up as role models and heroes, and a blind eye is turned to anything to the contrary. To ordinary fans the shameful conduct of these players and club officials is really quite stomach churning at times, but that’s the game as it is today.
erhan yaman - September 5th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Great! whats happen?ng at C?ty. Its about t?me C?ty had some luck. COME ON U BLUES.
suffolkpompey - September 5th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
If mark Hughes thinks he’s going to have full control over which players are bought or sold, then he must believe in fairies, is he so naive to think anyone who is going to be ploughing untold millions into the club, (so we’re led to believe), to make it the best in the world is not going to want what HE wants and that might not be who Hughes wants.
It’ll all end in tears I reckon, I give Hughes until about February , (after the Jan window), and he’ll be gone.
jimbobblue - September 5th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Mark Hughes will do a good job at picking players, he knows who has knobbly knees and who doesn’t we just need to sit back and chill out now and give a big thanks to ADUG. A DUG OUT is where they will be for a long time to come